Presentation made at Lake Tahoe Community College on using the LMS Etudes to get the most out of online class discussions.

1. DISCUSSIONS
WHERE THE ENERGY HAPPENS

2. JIM MARTENEY
DISTANCE EDUCATION TRAINER

3. THE DIFFERANCE
BETWEEN AN
ENGAGING ONLINE
COURSE

4. THE DIFFERENCE
AND A BORING
ONLINE COURSE

5. STIMULATING DISCUSSIONS

6. STIMULATING DISCUSSIONS
From Facebook
to texting, to
YouTube, our
students are
ready to perform.

7. HIGHER ORDER THINKING
Discussions
allow for
higher
order
thinking
skills

8. HIGHER ORDER THINKING
Discussions
allow for
higher
order
thinking
skills

9. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Essentials of
Discussions

10. NUTS “N” BOLTS

11. NUTS “N” BOLTS

12. NUTS “N” BOLTS

13. NUTS “N” BOLTS

14. NUTS “N” BOLTS

15. NUTS “N” BOLTS

16. NUTS “N” BOLTS

17. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category

18. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category Forum

19. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category Forum Topic

20. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category Forum Topic

21. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category Forum Topic

22. NUTS “N” BOLTS
Category Forum Topic

23. NUTS “N” BOLTS

24. NUTS “N” BOLTS

25. NUTS “N” BOLTS

26. CREATING A DISCUSSION

27. CREATING A DISCUSSION

28. CREATING A DISCUSSION

29. CREATING A DISCUSSION

30. CREATING A DISCUSSION

31. CREATING A DISCUSSION

32. CREATING A DISCUSSION

33. STRUCTURING A TOPIC

34. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough

35. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough
Make your
expectations clear

36. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough
Make your
expectations clear
Add video or links

37. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough
Make your
expectations clear
Add video or links
What is it worth?

38. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough
Make your
expectations clear
Add video or links
What is it worth?
Don’t Assume they can read your mind.

39. CREATING A TOPIC

40. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting

41. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting
Don’t create topics with
specific text answers

42. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting
Don’t create topics with
specific text answers
Require Student Judgment

43. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting
Don’t create topics with
specific text answers
Require Student Judgment
Require Student Evaluation

44. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting
Don’t create topics with
specific text answers
Require Student Judgment
Require Student Evaluation
Be Creative

45. GIVE STUDENTS CHOICES

46. ALWAYS SELL YOUR TOPIC
Why should
your students
care?

47. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC

48. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC
Adds valuable
content and
insight

49. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC
Adds valuable
content and
insight
Students appreciate
experts

50. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC
Adds valuable
content and
insight
Students appreciate
experts
Easier to recruit
online experts

51. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC
Adds valuable
content and
insight
Students appreciate
experts
Easier to recruit
online experts
Gives you a break

52. EXPERTS ON A TOPIC

53. DISCUSSION USES

54. ICE BREAKERS
Not so
successful

55. ICE BREAKERS
Successful

56. ICE BREAKERS
Tips
Ask specific questions
Ask interesting questions
Build Trust: Answer
your own questions

57. ICE BREAKERS
Tips
This may be their first
discussion, make
instructions clear

58. ICE BREAKERS

59. ICE BREAKERS
This is the first
step in tearing
down the wall
between
instructor and
student.

60. WHAT MIGHT YOU TRY?
What icebreaker
topics might you use?

61. TOPIC SAMPLES

62. EVALUATION TOPIC

63. USER GENERATED TOPIC

64. RESPONSE TO VIDEO

65. CREATIVE TOPIC

66. USER GENERATED TOPIC

67. USE POETRY

68. OFF THE WALL

69. DEBATE

70. ACTIVITY

71. RESULTS

72. RESULTS

73. RESULTS

74. WHAT MIGHT YOU TRY?
What topics might
you use?

75. GRADING A DISCUSSION
How Do You
Grade a
Discussion”?

76. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Grading by Category

77. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Grading by Category
Looks clean with blue line

78. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Grading by Category
Looks clean with blue line
Allows for multiple unit discussions

79. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Grading by Category
Looks clean with blue line
Allows for multiple unit discussions
Puts only one grade in grade book

80. GRADING A DISCUSSION

81. GRADING A DISCUSSION

82. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Make Your
Expectations
Clear

83. GRADING A DISCUSSION
My Rubric

84. GRADING A DISCUSSION
My Rubric
Wanted them to Post Early

85. GRADING A DISCUSSION
My Rubric
Wanted them to Post Early
Wanted them to Post Often

86. GRADING A DISCUSSION
My Rubric
Wanted them to Post Early
Wanted them to Post Often
Wanted them to Respond to Classmates

87. GRADING A DISCUSSION
My Rubric
Wanted them to Post Early
Wanted them to Post Often
Wanted them to Respond to Classmates
Wanted Quality Posts

88. GRADING A DISCUSSION

89. GRADING A DISCUSSION

90. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Student specific Good Ani, "We Don't Know about Truth." You are on the right track here.
Canned How can anyone be so sure about the existence of Bat Boy? As you are thinking, we
don't deal in Truth here. Instead, look for the validity of the argument.
I am hoping you can see that I used this discussion to re-emphasize the problem of dealing with
Truth as a critical thinker. Remember, we search for validity, not Truth.
Student specific Below is the Grading Rubric for this discussion..
When initially posted 3
(By Thursday of that week or closer to the final date From. 3 to 0)
Fulfilled responding Responsibilities 3
(Initial post and two classmates? From 3 to 1)
Frequency of Posts 2
(Spread out over the week or all in one night? From 3 to 1)
Content of posts 10
(Quality of post. From 11 points to 0) very good initial post.

91. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Gently Guide During the Discussion

92. GRADING A DISCUSSION
Gently Guide During the Discussion

93. WHAT MIGHT YOU TRY?
What might be your
grading criteria?

94. MORE DISCUSSION IDEAS

95. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS

96. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Too many in class
for one discussion

97. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Too many in class
for one discussion

98. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Too many in class
for one discussion
Want to create
special groups

99. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”

100. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”
Select “Manage Groups”

101. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”
Select “Manage Groups”

102. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”
Select “Manage Groups”

103. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”
Select “Manage Groups”
Title and Describe the
Group

104. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Select “Site Info”
Select “Manage Groups”
Title and Describe the
Group
Select students and add

105. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS

106. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Only those students
will see the discussion

107. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Only those students
will see the discussion
Can make focused
announcements just to
that group

108. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Only those students
will see the discussion
Can make focused
announcements just to
that group
Can make focused
announcements just to
one class section

109. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Only those students
will see the discussion
Can make focused
announcements just to
that group
Can make focused
announcements just to
one class section

110. CREATING DISCUSSION
THREADS

111. CREATING DISCUSSION
THREADS
Have each
student
start a
topic

112. CREATING DISCUSSION
THREADS
Have each
student
start a
topic

113. DISCUSSION THREADS AND
GROUPS

114. DISCUSSION THREADS AND
GROUPS
Create a Group of
One

115. DISCUSSION THREADS AND
GROUPS
Create a Group of
One

116. DISCUSSION THREADS AND
GROUPS
Create a Group of
One

117. DISCUSSION ICONS

118. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS
“Coming to class” not all work

119. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS
Builds Class Community

120. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

121. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

122. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

123. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

124. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

125. HAVE FUN DISCUSSIONS

126. WHAT MIGHT YOU TRY?
Any ideas for
fun topics?

127. REVERSE ORDER

128. SAVE SOME TIME
Use “Recent Topics”

129. SAVE SOME TIME
Use “Recent Topics”

130. SELECT REPLY ONLY

131. SELECT REPLY ONLY

132. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
Select
“I’ll re-use”

133. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
Select
“I’ll re-use”

134. STIMULATING DISUCSSIONS
Thank You